I’ve become a lot more serious about the relationship between my emotional self and my financial self. The past 10 months have been interesting. There’s a long detailed story that I will save for another time given that this post right now is affirming that wellness comes with a cost, and I don’t mean a metaphorical one (which is true!). But, a tangible, monetary cost that looks like personal investment in goals, dreams, desires, and the tools to assist this process. It means asking self-examining questions like how much can I afford to save each month? Am I keeping a budget? Is it realistic? Am I learning about different types of savings accounts? Am I taking advantage of free resources in the community? Am I being honest about where my financial literacy is and the cultural silence that got me here?
The answer is yes, yes, yes! I’m being honest! I’m that way in all other areas, so why not this one? Lately, I’ve been in this mode where I can’t even sleep comfortably if the only thing I thought about in the day is how to help others to the exclusion of myself. I’m here for doing my part in the world all day long, but my basic needs need to be met – seriously, shelter, lights on, wi-fi (broad access to information in an information economy is a human right), quality food, quality healthcare, gas, transportation, etc. These are needs … and I also believe in making space for wants…for deep, deep pleasure points of desire:
-What do I want my life to look like?
-What are my non-negotiables linked to daily living?
-What is the quality of the air? What am I breathing in, literally??
-What does spaciousness look like?
-Who and what messages will be in close proximity?
-What is the role of money in these questions?
With all of this momentum, I decided to try the Budgetnista financial challenge this month. I’ve been on her email list for a while but hadn’t dedicated that much to keeping up with things.
But here I am, slowly coming up on 31 and tryna get my money right.
My first challenge for today (well, yesterday) is to write down 3 financial goals, be specific, post them somewhere, and share with anyone I trust:
-I want to have saved a minimum of $6,000 by next year by keeping and maintaining my monthly budget practice (some parts of me wish this number were larger, but it’s the most realistic minimum I can do).
-I want to increase my weekly income by $90 by increasing the number of reiki clients I have during the week, continuing to offer services on a sliding scale. I’ll do this by getting a standing location during the month of November.
-I want to be mindful of spending practices and not lose track of the momentum I’ve gathered during the month of October. I’ll do this by consistently checking my e-mail and keeping up with LRC challenges.
Cheers!
MFM
moon.flower.medicine 